Isnt’ this what you’d like to do when you are angry with your partner?

But what comes naturally often isn’t the best.

Anger is a natural human emotion. Sometimes it’s justifiable, other times it’s a response of selfishness. It can be a complex matter, and too much to discuss here. It can become destructive to a relationship, and that’s why it should be dealt with appropriately. This is one of those area where it could be good to find a minister or licensed therapist and “sit down” to spend some time talking about any anger in your relationship and how you manage it.

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You’ve heard of ADD but what about EDD? EDD refers to empathy deficit disorder (as defined by a Washington psychotherapist in the Washington Post). Empathy is the ability to feel at some level what another is experiencing.

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No mother-in-law jokes here, but a serious question: Can two women love the same man and still get along? That’s the subtitle of a book by Annie Chapman. The book is The Mother-In-Law-Dance.

Chapman chose that title because she said at first, the mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law may step on one another’s toes. They both have to learn the new dance!

She has advice for both the mother-in-law and her son’s wife.

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What do you do when you have marriage problems? Serious problems? A lot of couples bail. That’s always sad, because I know that in most cases if they hung on, better days would come.

Someone said marriage is like a lilac bush…in the winter it looks dead & lifeless and you might think to uproot it. But if you leave it, next spring it will blossom again.

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Funny YouTube video below about the writer’s strike and marriage. Christina Applegate and “Bob” remind us in a funny way of something not so funny - unemployment. It happens to everyone at some time and can create a lot of stress on a marriage relationship.

Bad things happen to good people. Often bad things happen and we have little control over when and why they happen. Spend time thinking beforehand what strategies you will have to work through difficult times when they come. Meanwhile, enjoy the movie!

The Writer’s Strike, Your Marriage and You

The Colorado Rockies and Boston Red Sox are set for this year’s World Series. Reminded me of something I read not long ago that suggests that baseball is good for marriage. Watch the video below to find out why.

Are the Colorado Rockies Good for Marriage?
Baseball and Marriage

Well, this is a common approach for dealing with problems with in-laws!

However, it’s not one I advise.

Here are some better approaches:

SET SOME GOALS:

You need to be intentional about your relationship with your family.

Describe the kind of relationship you want with your extended family.

LOOKING AT DIFFERENCES

• Extended families bring together diverse people with differing expectations for family.

• Discuss your families’ differences in terms of: generational gaps, geographical factors (city vs. rural), financial levels, and spiritual / religious viewpoints

• As you think about the above, what is the difference between acceptance and agreement?

• How will you work to bridge generation & value gaps?

• What does it mean to you to love someone unconditionally?

• Who do you clash with most in your extended family? Why? What are the strong points of the person you clash with?

• Try re-framing negative qualities: meddlesome becomes concerned, and bossy becomes shows leadership

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